Good advice on the drags;extreme smoothies.STAY AWAY from ceramic bearings and don't need ABEC 7's or 5's.That's just gonna"speed-up" the reel.Flush your bearings with something like lighter fluid, get 'em dry and then 1 drop of regular oil. Don't need rocket fuel.Make sure your line is on with consistant pressure and evenly L&R.
Let me advise,please.Back when I fished 4-5 days a week I used a conventional almost exclusively. Now I've gone to a spinner for most lure fishing surf,jetty,sod bank,boat,etc.Why? Because I'm not nearly as proficient with the thumb as I used to be and I have arthritis in my hands and shoulders,among other places,and using a conv to cast floater/diver and rattlin types,surface and darters in the 3/4 - 2 oz is an exercise in frustration even with mag cast control.
Use a spinner, no worries about backlashes,even spooling,etc.and you'll get as good or better distance when casting into the wind.
I still hold to conv if castinf steel,lead,bait.But a good spinner is just flat more practical. Neil